Athens, GA – The Athens Black History Curriculum (ABHC) Collective is working to preserve and uplift the history of the Black community in Athens, Georgia. As a small southern college town, Athens’ history of enslavement, sharecropping, lynching, and land theft against Black Athenians is left largely unrecognized, even though the school district is 45% Black. This fellowship enables the ABHC Collective to host a writing retreat where local educators will collaborate on developing grade-specific lesson plans that center local African American history. Led by PhD student Lora Smothers, the Collective seeks to promote community healing by uplifting stories such as Linnentown—a historically Black neighborhood that was demolished—and the legacy of Baldwin Hall at the University of Georgia, which stands atop Black graves unearthed in 2015. By helping students feel seen and known through this goal of educational enrichment, the Collective hopes to make a lasting impact on young people’s engagement with and understanding of their hometown’s history.